Dress like the dead (the zombie kind, not the jam band kind) and celebrate the upcoming fall equinox at Independent Bar this weekend for its “Zombie Pajama Jammy Jam” party. That means not only are you required to repeat “brains” over and over, you should be wearing footie pajamas while doing it.

Ever wonder what it would be like if the Amway Center opened as a dance club for one night? Find out this Saturday when the “Crème De La Crème: The Mile High White Party” takes over the North Club Bar inside the Amway. DJs Livewire and Official will be spinning R&B and Top 40 and there will be private bars and VIP sky box seating available. The organizers want everyone to “dress to impress” – and wearing white is required.

WHEN: 10 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Amway Center, 400 W. Church Street in downtown Orlando (the party is at the North Club Bar and entrance is at the box office).

Jani Lane, 47-year-old lead singer of the rock band Warrant, was found dead in a hotel in Woodland Hills, California on August 11, 2011.

Last night many found out that Jani Lane, who once led the hair-rock band Warrant (famous for ’80s hits such as “Heaven” and “Cherry Pie“), was found dead at 47.

What many might not know, was that Lane was part owner of a nightclub in downtown Orlando for a couple of years in the early ’90s called Jani Lane’s Sunset Strip.

I was too young to go inside, but I do remember seeing it at the corner of Orange Avenue and Pine Street. It is where CityArts Factory now stands, it was also Bar Orlando and Rat Pack’s over the years.

I reached out on Twitter and Facebook for some memories from Orlando residents who went to the club back in the day and this is what they had to say. Feel free to share your own memories of the club too in the comments section.

Will Walker, co-owner of Will’s Pub and the Belle Isle Yacht Pub, remembers going there when he was 21:

“I saw Jani Lane perform there multiple times.”

Local musician, Rickey Dickens, has this memory:

“I got the hook, literally and deservedly so, at an open stage when you could sing with the band at Jani Lane’s on Orange Ave back in 1994. I was 21, trying to sing Roadhouse Blues. I had a sore throat and my “friend” told me NOT to sip, but shoot a SIFTER of…are you ready? BRANDY. Oh yeah, it was like the Apollo in NYC where someone w/ a huge “Hook” put it around me and gently pulled me off stage. I say “gently,” because they knew if they pulled too fast, I would have fell face first into the guitar player or fell off the stage all together. It was one of the THE most of embarrassing moments in my life. I had no idea I was supposed to SIP the Brandy, I knew after that night though.”

@fsulaw03 on Twitter: a highlight was Warrant actually playing the club…and just b4 open Jani played acoustic set at Light Up Orlando!

@JerrySteffen on Twitter: Waterballooning drunks on the street below from that tiny balcony after a Todd Rundgren show.

Betsi Scott on Facebook has this to say about the lead singer: “I actually met Jani at Jani Lane’s. I remember that he was very personable; humble and just an all-around nice guy.”

Jani Lane at Jani Lane's Sunset Strip in 1995/Courtesy of Sandra Carr

I also dug into our Sentinel archives and found this article by Nancy Feigenbaum from Dec. 2, 1993, right before the club opened. Here are some excerpts:

Webster Drug Stores Inc., a family-owned business with one other location, bought the four-story building (at Orange Avenue and Pine Street) for $1.2 million. The drugstore used to be part of the Liggett chain, which has disbanded. It is leasing the second and third floors to a nightclub, JaniLane’s Sunset Strip.

”Downtown really is the hottest place right now,” said Carollynn Hammersmith, spokeswoman for for Sunset Strip.

Sunset Strip, atop Liggett, is the latest of dozens of nightclubs to open in the wake of Church Street’s success. It is named for JaniLane, a former Orlando musician who hit the big time with a heavy metal band called Warrant.

Hammersmith described the club as mainstream rock and compared it to Hard Rock Cafe in atmosphere. Some of the national acts it has booked, however, are a ”heavier” sound, with more of the harsher, heavy metal bent.

With the ending of Necropolis on Wednesday nights at Independent Bar in downtown Orlando, the club has brought on a new night called Mac & Cheese featuring, well, cheesy music. So it’s the exact opposite of the ’80s music Necropolis featured. There will be ’90s and ’00s cheese available as well.

Doors open at 10 p.m. and it’s free.

There is also a new night on Thursdays. Well, not really. DJ Smilin’ Dan has changed the name of Five Year Flashback to INDIEcent Thursdays. Same indie music but not trapped by the 5-year rule.

Doors also open for this night at 10 p.m. and it’s free before midnight for 21-and-up and $3 after and all night for 18-20.

Both nights are 18-and-up. IBar is at 70 N. Orange Ave.; call 407-839-0457

Steel Nightclub opened its doors about a week and a half ago at 360 State Lane, behind the Bank of America building, in downtown Orlando (old Screamers Nightclub).

General Manager Eric Carrasquillo says its an “alternative club” with about a 75 percent gay and lesbian clientele — but everyone is welcome. Especially during the bar’s happy hour, which gets a good business crowd, from 4-9 p.m. Specials include two-for-one wells and domestics.

There are different themed nights that include a country night, a latin night and a ladies night. Drag shows run throughout the week on Tuesdays at 11 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. , Thursdays at 11 p.m., midnight and 1 a.m., Friday and Saturdays at 11 p.m. and 12:30 a.m.

Right now there is no cover for 21-and-up and hours are 4 p.m. – 3 a.m. daily. Find out more at steel-orlando.com or call 407-423-5701.

I’m experiencing deja vu writing this post. Oh wait, that’s because Zen Exotic Lounge and Club (formerly Deja Vu) was supposed to open last week and I wrote about it. Then they canceled the opening the day of the event. Well, now they’re saying the opening is tomorrow night. I’ll let you know if I hear different.

Here’s the press release:

Zen Exotic Lounge & Club, Orlando’s premier location for nightlife, will open Thursday, April 21 in the evening with a geisha-themed night featuring live entertainment including dancers. Best-known for a wide variety of music and theme nights in Orlando, the opening night will feature acrobatic dancers and live music, providing an escape for guests.

Proceeds from the event will support the Red Cross relief funds for Japan and Haiti. Dress code is upscale with no sneakers or hats.

WHEN

Thursday, April 21, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. for fundraiser opening party,

(Party continues until 2 am)

Minimum $5 donation at the door (proceeds to benefit disaster relief in Japan and Haiti)

My colleague, Matt Palm, recently got a chance to check out the new The Abbey in downtown Orlando, that is scheduled to open on April 8. This space is not to be confused with Abbey, the wonderful beer and wine bar in DeLand.

Speaking of Abbey, it was just mentioned in “Imbibe” magazine’s “The 100 Best Places to Drink In The South” list. Unfortunately, it was the only spot mentioned from Central Florida. It would have been nice to see Orlando bar Redlight Redlighton the list as well. They deserve it just as much.

Back to the new The Abbey. Here’s what Matt had to say:

The curtain is just about ready to rise on The Abbey, a new intimate performance venue/bar/lounge/cabaret all-around nightspot set to open on the ground floor of the offices that Florida Theatrical Association share with True Marketing. Read more…

Here’s my review of Vain, that will be running in tomorrow’s Calendar section of the Orlando Sentinel.

I’m not going to lie. I was nervous about returning to the scene of the crime that was Lyrica.

The club took a much-loved, much-valued nightlife space on 22 S. Magnolia Ave. (formerly Cairo and Renaissance) and pretty much spat on it. Mismanagement and, in my opinion, lack of experience ended that travesty late last year.

Vain, which took over the spot shortly after Lyrica closed, has made the venue a viable downtown Orlando nightlife option once again.

Touting itself as “Orlando’s largest club with the biggest attitude,” it definitely has the size to back that statement up with three levels of dance space — but I didn’t see the attitude. Customer service was top-notch for the most part. There were plenty of bartenders behind the four bars, making for minimal wait times when I stopped by last Saturday night.

Top 40 remixes, hip-hop and reggae dominated the dancing spaces that are on the main level, in the back room upstairs and on the rooftop. The rooftop’s DJ really impressed with highly addictive beats and fabulous transitions. The rooftop bartender also impressed with his attentiveness that helped correct a very weak Tanqueray and tonic the husband ordered at the downstairs bar.

While on the subject of drinks, they’re kind of pricey here. That Tanqueray and tonic was $8 and a well-brand rum and Coke I had later was $7.That’s heading into theme-park pricing territory.For a nice club in downtown Orlando $6 and $5, respectively, are a bit more appropriate. A Michelob Ultra in the bottle and a Magic Hat #9 on draft were $4 each, much more in line with downtown (although I think the Mich Ultra could still be dropped 50 cents).

When Lyrica opened, it looked like the inside of a fraternity house the day after a party.Flooded bathrooms, sticky floors and barely any decor gave the place a trashy vibe (and not in a cool, punk way). Now, some of the walls are painted a rich red while others have slate tile. There’s an interesting three-dimensional block feature over the upstairs bar. Black leather VIP seating is throughout the club and surprisingly, there are bar stools at the rooftop bar. But don’t get too comfortable — at around 11:30 my stool was politely taken away from me to make more space for dancing.

The VIP seating — for the price of a bottle between $130 (Three Olives vodka) to $1,150 (Armand de Brignac Rose “Ace of Spades” champagne) — was 50 percent filled by midnight. I was surprised considering the economy, but with a mainly early 20-something crowd, there might be more spendable cash in their wallets. Then again if you don’t spend the dough on VIP seating, you’re not sitting at the club at all.

My favorite part of the evening was the restroom. I’m not joking. The toilets were actually working and I didn’t have to roll up my pant legs before entering the stall. When you pay a cover into a club, you hope the plumbing works. At Vain, it now does.

Speaking of covers, when I stopped by last Saturday it was free for women until 11 p.m. and $5 after 11 p.m. It was $10 for men all night.

That’s fair. The DJs, bartenders and staff delivered and the club is beautiful (although the stairs and rails could use a coat of paint, too). Laser lighting plays along with what the DJ is spinning downstairs and creates neat visual effects. The club says the lighting is in 3-D. Other than some basic geometrical shapes with the lasers, I’m not sure what that means.

Whatever. If I want to see a light show I’ll go to Epcot. I’m just glad to see this spot open as a cool nightclub again.

I got a chance to take a quick tour of the new Touch Orlando at 55 W. Church Street in downtown Orlando today, before its grand opening this Friday at 10 p.m.

The club has been pushing its innovative new way of ordering drinks through touch-screen tables, and after seeing it I have to say it’s pretty neat.

Flat-screen, black tables (surrounded by high-top and cube seating) allows customers to order drinks via touch screen. Like a large iPad, it has a sexy, sleek design and folks will eat up the options. The touch screen offers selections like “Drinks,” “Bottle Service,” “Games” and “Flirt.”

Cocktails can be ordered depending on preference or mood. The latter are selections the club offers on whether you’re feeling “bitchy,” “happy,” “flirty,” etc. There is also a map of the club folks can pull up so drinks can be sent to other tables.

The cocktail waitresses receive the orders on iPod Touches strapped to their wrists and confirm the order with you. By that point, the drink is already being made at the bar which also receives the order.

Other than ordering drinks you can also play games on the flat screens that include a drawing game and a Magic 8-Ball-type game, among others.

The touch tables are available for general seating from 5-9 p.m. Monday, Wednesday-Friday during happy hour. Otherwise, you have to pay for a bottle, Ala VIP, in order to use them from 10 p.m. – 2 a.m. Monday, Wednesday-Saturday. The club will be open on Tuesdays only for special events, like a Magic game.

There will be a strict dress code, mainly business casual, at Touch that is aimed at attracting an older crowd (25-45). Down the line the second phase of the club, Dream, will open upstairs inside the overpass above Touch and will cater to solely VIP. And there is a small VIP room on the main level called Hush for private events.

Another neat concept — a unisex washroom. So you know who’s not washing their hands after using the bathroom.

See body-painted models, acrobats, stilt walkers and go-go dancers at Rain Orlando on Saturday night during its new “Trois” event. There also will be massages (upper body and foot) for the women in the club. DJs BJ, Lyvwyr, Official and ET will be spinning R&B, reggae, hip-hop and more all night.